


not long ago I gave up hope

by caimani



Series: Prompts for Werewolf TAI... [6]
Category: The Academy Is...
Genre: M/M, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-03 10:57:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11530767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caimani/pseuds/caimani
Summary: 5. UnbreakableThe Almost Here anniversary tour reminds Butcher and the rest of the band what they’ve all been missing.





	not long ago I gave up hope

**Author's Note:**

> this took too long to write and I'm still not completely satisfied. it's like a shorter transition piece. idk

Mike, Jamie, and Bill are crowded together at the front of the bus. Butcher is sitting in the far back, with Sisky leaning against his side. The bus is full of people and noise and tour smells. Butcher is half expecting Jamie to shift into his dog form from all the excitement. Even sitting in the back where he can’t see what’s happening, his face is stretched in a smile wide enough to hurt his cheeks. 

This is what he’s been missing. Well, maybe not the weredogs--those are just an incredible coincidence. But everything else. Bill and Mike. Playing shows and meeting people and driving around in a bus that’s way too small for so many werewolves. Hearing the audience singing the words of their songs back. Seeing his band--his former pack--happy together. Genuinely happy.

Sisky grabs Butcher’s hand and squeezes it. “What are you thinking?” he says.

Butcher shakes his head. “Just… did you ever think we’d be doing this again?”

Sisky snuggles closer to Butcher. “No. I mean.” He sighs. “When I was touring with Carly, I thought that was it. I was lucky enough to be touring with another werewolf who cared, but it wasn’t the same. I didn’t… I didn’t want that to be like what we had.”

Butcher pulls his hand free and puts his arm around Sisky’s shoulder, drawing him closer. “I know what you mean.”

Sisky presses his face into Butcher’s neck. “I know we can’t just go back to what it was like before. But I know _they_ can feel this too. You feel it, right?”

“Yeah.” It’s impossible not to feel the pieces coming back together. There’s not a day on this tour that Butcher hasn’t thought about how amazing it is, having this chance to be The Academy Is… again. 

“We need to talk about this. We all need to be together again.” Sisky’s voice is soft, but his words are certain. “We can do it.”

Butcher keeps his mouth closed. In the absence of a response, Mike, Bill, and Jamie start laughing loudly. The sound easily travels back to where they’re sitting in the back. Maybe… Butcher turns and presses a brief kiss into Sisky’s hair. “Depends on those two.”

Sisky pulls away from Butcher, just enough to look into his eyes. “No, it depends on all of us. And they can do it. We can do it.” He leans forward and kisses Butcher on the lips, feather-light. “What we had was good. It’s worth it to fix it.”

Butcher grins and catches Sisky as he starts moving away. “Okay, okay. I’ll believe in them too. We can do this.”

Sisky moves himself into Butcher’s lap and winds his arms around Butcher’s neck. “I missed you.”

Butcher smiles and kisses him. “I missed you so much,” he whispers against Sisky’s lips. He’s missed this so much. “I kept track of everything you were doing.”

“Me too,” Sisky says. His smile suddenly falls. “Hey, I… I wanted to ask you before but… a couple years ago when that assault happened…”

All the happy feelings suddenly drain out of Butcher. His heartbeat picks up. He can still remember that moment so vividly--the bastards closing in around him, taunting him--

“Please don’t,” Butcher says. He looks away from Sisky, because those eyes are just too loving right now. He can’t let thoughts of Sisky anywhere near that moment. That was… he sure as hell didn’t handle it, but he didn’t want to bring anyone else into that problem. He had called Sisky and even Mike to promise he was fine and that it was just an unfortunate random mugging. He had told them not to worry. Not to come.

Even though it wasn’t a random mugging. 

Butcher sighs. “I don’t blame you guys for not being there. I told you that. It was a new moon. I was taken by surprise. I got better.”

Sisky gently kisses his cheek. “Okay. Sorry. Hey, you want to sleep together tonight? Not like, have sex, but just sleep together. I can be the big spoon.” 

Butcher smiles and chuckles. “That sounds nice.”

As they start to rearrange themselves on the couch, the door to the back suddenly slams open. Mike has his mouth open, ready to talk, but he stops when he sees them. “Jeez, I can’t believe you two. You disappear for like five minutes and already you’re--” he gestures vaguely at them. “Get out of here. We’re doing shit in the front and you should be there.”

Butcher and Sisky sit up, but Sisky doesn’t let go of Butcher. “Are you saying you missed us, Mike?”

Mike rolls his eyes. “...yes. Just, come on.”

Butcher prys Sisky’s arms away from his chest and gets up. Sisky grabs him before he can follow Mike back to the front and whispers, “Told you.”

Butcher looks back at Sisky’s hopeful face. “Still need to convince Bill.”

Sisky shrugs. “We’ve got time. You know, Gabe’s been talking with him. I think he’s going to come to the shows in California. He can help us out.”

“Come _on_ ,” Mike complains, grabbing at Butcher’s hand to pull him out of the back. “And quit whispering about shit when you know I can hear you.”

Butcher laughs and lets Mike drag him away.


End file.
